Why You Should Wake Up Early

                 "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
                                                       - Benjamin Franklin


I am sure you have heard....."Early bird catches the worm" or "Get up early and seize the day"


Are you an early riser? Or would you like to become one?

I often read and hear about studies that has been done about early risers
.
They say that they are happier, healthier and more productive. They stay in better shape and make more money. There seems to be great benefits to being an early riser.


I have been an early riser for many years. I like it best when I get up around 5 in the morning. I sit quietly in a chair, sipping on my hot tea and with my candle lit on the table in front of me. This is my meditation/quiet time.
I have to tell you.....I get the best ideas that early in the morning. I also get answers to questions and incidents that happened the day before. It is also a great time for me to reflect on everything in my life that I am grateful for.
By 6.30- 7, I am ready to start the day by taking my two dogs out for their morning walk/run.  I feel that there is something magical about watching the sun rise and I just have to have this quiet time to myself every day or most days.


A few tips if you want to become and early riser!

You have to go to bed early too!
Don't eat at least three hours before you go to bed. Sleep in a cold and dark room. Shut down all electronics (cell-phone, Internet & TV) at least one hour before bedtime. And if you can't go to sleep try melatonin supplement instead of a sleeping pill.


                                            Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                        www.karinglannstam.com

Design Your Own Life

                                "The true destination of any travel is self-knowledge."
                                                          - Brandon A. Trem


                                   "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."
                                                                  - Aristotle



You must know thyself.
You must know how you should be living, and then you must live that way, being proud of your decisions, and you must stop worrying about what others think.

In today's world we are so busy wanting to know everything about everybody else. We want to know what other people are up to all the time. We are staying in constant contact with people we know and also people we don't know, through all kinds of social media, the Internet and TV.


But in the battle of always wanting to know and learning about what other people are doing, we are forgetting one thing....... learning about ourselves.
Learning and studying ourselves is so important, but instead we are studying everyone around us and we want to be more like them.


But the sooner you stop worrying about what other people think and what they do and start focusing on learning about "yourself" the better off you are going to be.
The sooner you can start to be believe in of yourself and to make decisions based on what you want and what you think....the better off you will be. And if you need to change something...... then just change it!!!!
It is never too late to change and to get better.


You can change. You can live the life you always wanted. You can live a life of your own design.
It starts with creating the rules for your own life. What you will accept from other people, but also what you will accept from yourself.

So stop following other people and their lives and dreams and put some energy into creating your own dream and vision for your own life.
Start Today!


                                       "A wise man travels to discover himself."


                                      Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                  www.karinglannstam.com

How to Make a True Decision

                                       "A wise man makes his own decisions,
                                      an ignorant man follows public opinion."
                                                    - Chinese Proverb


When was the last time that you truly made a decision?

The word decision comes from Latin and it literally means to "cut off"

So what does that really mean?

When you make a true decision to you actually cut off any other possibilities. You literally cut yourself off from other way of thinking and acting that doesn't align with whatever it is you want to achieve.


                "Making a true decision means committing yourself to achieving a result,
                              and then cutting yourself off from any other possibility."
                                                           - Tony Robbins


You stop procrastinating and get off the fence.

If you are not in it 100% or with both feet....and you are second guessing yourself and you are looking back.

You haven't made a true decision yet.


                       "Never make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings."

What decision have you been putting off making lately?

Are you scared of making a true decision?

What are you afraid of.....what is truly stopping you from getting off the fence and taking action on your dream and your goals?

Fear of some kind?


                                          Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                     www.karinglannstam.com

The Journey Starts with One Single Step

Most of the times when we look at highly successful people we see the end result.

We don't see the path they took to get to where they are today.

We don't see all the steps they took, all the hard work and all the mistakes they made.

Remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step...and then another.....and another.

When we see the results that other people have achieved, we want the outcome, but often we don't want to take the journey to get there.

But all those successful people that we admire, they did take all those steps.

They didn't just appear on top of the mountain one day.....they actually had to climb it.
One step at a time.

And if it happens to be that the next step is a mistake than learn from the lesson and take it again. Your success in life will be determined based on the steps you take along the way.


                                                     "I may not be there yet,
                                         but I am closer than I was yesterday."


                                    Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                              wwww.karinglannstam.com

How To Stick To Your Goal

                 "Sticking to your goals sometimes means getting through many obstacles.
                               The challenge only lies in your determination for success."


                                                "Don't give up what you want most,
                                                          for what you want now."


Do you tend to quit doing something a short time after you started due to lack of results?

Do you have problems sticking to your game plan?

Check out my latest Coaching Tip!

- Set Goal
- Make Plan
- Get to Work
- Stick to It
- Reach Goal

                                                      "Setting goals takes desire,
                                       but completing them takes determination."




                                    Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                              www.karinglannstam.com

The Power of Taking Action

                                   "We have a strategic plan. It's called doing things."
                                                                - Herb Kelleher

                           "The distance between your dreams and reality is called action."

It is really easy in getting wrapped up in creating the perfect blueprint or game plan. We have a lot of great ideas.....but sometimes it makes more sense to just cut through all the fancy planning and just get to work.

What I am referring to here is......Taking Action!

Be fearless and let go of doubts and worries and start doing things.

Start Today....and again tomorrow.....and again the next day! 

                                         Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                  www.karinglannstam.com

Do you Feel Frustrated with your Slow Progress?

                                          "Slow progress is better than no progress."


                                                "Some quit due to slow progress.
                                      Never grasping the fact that slow progress....
                                                                is progress."
I don't know about you.......
But sometimes I feel really frustrated with the slow progress I am making in my own life.
I know change is difficult and it takes a lot of dedication, persistence and perseverance to make big and lasting changes in our own lives. I try to tell myself that it will take some time to change behaviors and thought pattern that I have had for a long time. It won't happen overnight......I have to learn to be patient with myself.

I couple of weeks ago I came across these wonderful words and today I want to share them with you. If you are trying to make some changes in your life right now and are feeling frustrated with your slow progress.....you will probably find these words soothing and encouraging.


Because of the many years of past conditioning and the intense training you have in holding on to toxic thoughts, behaviors and unhealthy relationships, giving up on , all that toxic in your life won't be easy and it won't happen overnight.

Chances are that you won't see major improvements in your life immediately, and that's okay

Be patient and gentle with yourself while working on rebuilding your life and remember to enjoy the journey.

Always focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing the activity but doing it.

Remember to take one step at a time.

                                             Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                      www.karinglannstam.com

Does Your Dream Have a Deadline?

                               "The difference between a goal and a dream is a deadline."




                               "Goals aren't enough. You need goals plus deadlines;
                                          goals big enough to get excited about
                    and deadlines to make you run. One isn't much good without the other,
                                           but together they can be tremendous."
                                                            - Ben Feldman

Why have I been wasting so much time on taking action on the things that truly matter to me?

No matter how important it is for us to take action or to make changes in our lives, we often delay.

In other words .....we procrastinate.

Our procrastination defeats our progress, kills our momentum, and often leaves us feeling frustrated and un-motivated.

But there is hope here.......
There is one thing you can do to get faster results....
Set a deadline.


                                                   "A dream is just a dream.
                                    A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." 
                                                         - Harvey Mackay


Your dreams must have a deadline.

When we know that we are running out of time it is enough to make us take action on our top priorities....Today.

Almost everyone will procrastinate. We will do almost anything to avoid working on what matters most.

A deadline is a great motivation. It makes us push harder toward our goals. Like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It keeps us going when it gets tough and it gets us through our dark days when we feel like quitting. It also helps us to avoid temptation.

If you don't have a deadline for your goals you will continue to drag your feet and come up with all kinds of excuses and reaching your goals will drag on forever.


Set a deadline and come up with incentives....like a reward for reaching daily, weekly and monthly goals on your journey to reaching your big goal.

Also you can come up with meaningful consequences for missing your goal.

Deadlines forces you to focus and take the action you need in order to achieve your big goals and dreams.

Set and end date for achieving your goals.

                                          Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                      www.karinglannstam.com




  

Folllow Your True Calling

                  "There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling.
                            It is why you were born, and how you become truly alive."
                                                            - Oprah Winfrey


                                                "If your path is more difficult,
                                              it is because your calling is higher."
                                                              - Unknown

Have you heard these words before?

Follow....Your.....Bliss

There are two important words here....

Your and Bliss

Another word for bliss is purpose or true calling.

Don't allow anyone else to tell you what your true calling or bliss is.

It has to be your own.

Not what you think might impress your family, friends or the crowd.

Follow what someone else does or tells you that you need to follow .........it is easy.

Have you ever figured out what your true calling, purpose or bliss is?

What gets you truly excited and filled with energy and motivation?

If not....spend some time in the quiet......figure it out.....and then go out there and do it!


What are you waiting for?


Do it TODAY!

                                       Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                               www.karinglannstam.com

Is the risk of reluctance worth the reward of staying comfortable and safe?

                                                             "Growth is painful
                                                             change is painful
                                                     but nothing is as painful as
                                      staying stuck somewhere you don't belong."


                          "The secret to change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old
                                                        but on building the new."

In the last blog I was writing about how change can be very difficult for all the people around us. I also talked about how every relationship has a balance point. When someone makes a permanent change it disrupts the balance point and there are 3 possible outcomes.

#1 The other person accepts the changes as they are.
#2 The relationship ends.
#3 The other person changes as well.

If you missed Monday's blog here it is.......
http://karinglannstam.blogspot.se/2015/09/the-risk-of-change.html

No matter which of those outcomes happens. When we change our lives we are putting ourselves and others at risk.

In 2012 I risked it all. I left a narcissistic abusive relationship that I had been in for almost 8 years. Packed my bags and flew to Sweden with my 2 dogs. (I was born and raised in Sweden but I had lived in The US for 25 years). I risked everything I had and knew about myself. After one year in Sweden I returned to Houston, TX.

I hope that this kind of severe upheaval doesn't happen to others when they make big changes in their lives.
Yet it seems to be part of the course with a lot of people.

When we are reluctant to make changes in our lives we have to ask ourselves a couple of important questions....

How much am I willing to risk for my happiness,
more joy in my life
freedom
and my health?

Fear is another word for severe reluctance.

Is the risk of reluctance or fear worth the reward of staying comfortable, safe, and not living up to your potential?

I am glad that i faced my fears and left my old life behind. Even though it meant that I had to go through "the dark night of the soul" and learn to live with uncertainty. If I would have stayed I would have risked my happiness, joy, freedom and health. A high price to pay to remain in the comfort of what we are used to......... even if we know that it isn't working.

                                                            "Change is scary
                                       but not as scary as staying the same forever."


                                            Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                      www.karinglannstam.com

The Risk of Change

Change is to a lot of people a scary word. One of the biggest subconscious blocks that we have when it comes to changing our lives...... is the risk of the unknown.

Especially if we feel like the unknown is a scary place and we can't handle living in uncertainty.

When we are trying to create change in our lives it can also be difficult for the people around us. Especially in our closest personal relationships.

Ex.....if you have been an overweight person for years. Eating unhealthy food and never exercising and you decide to make a huge change in your life. Deciding on a healthy lifestyle where eating healthy and exercising is now part of your daily routine.........it will change your relationships.

Your spouse will be affected, children, friends and co-workers.

Let me explain more in detail what I am talking about.

Every relationship has a balance-point. It is the state of a relationship which both people subconsciously agree. "This is how it is in our relationship and this is how it will continue to be."
Change will shake things up for all the people involved in the relationship.

When someone makes a drastic and permanent change, it disrupts the balance-point and there are only 3 possible outcomes......

#1. The other person accepts the changes as they are. This could be.........
A... Actual acceptance or
B... They don't want to rock the boat.
If it is an real acceptance , the relationship will quickly reach a new balance-point.
But if it is B.....not to rock the boat, it might lead to #2

#2. The relationship ends.
This might happen if there is a huge, significant change and both people can no longer agree on a balance-point. This happens because one person made a huge change while the other person was unable or unwilling to change.

#3. The other person will also make a change.
In an empowered relationships, both people will elevate their consciousness, make change for the better and ultimately find a new, more fulfilling balance-point.

No matter which of those outcomes happens. When we change our lives, we are putting ourselves and others at risk.

In my blog on Wednesday I will talk about how I risked everything I had and knew about myself. The year was 2012.
More on that on Wednesday.

                                           Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                    www.karinglannstam.com

Are You a Perfectionist?

Another great book......This one is by Brene Brown.....Daring Greatly

The courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead.

Today I am going to share some words from the book. It is about perfectionism.

Like vulnerability, perfectionism has accumulated around it a considerable mythology. I Think it's helpful to start by looking at what perfectionism isn't:

- Perfectionism is not the same thing as excellence. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth. Perfectionism is a defensive move. It is the belief that if we do things perfectly and look perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame. Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around, thinking it will protect us, when in fact it's the thing that really preventing us from being seen.


- Perfectionism is not self-improvement. Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying to earn approval. Most perfectionists grew up being praised for achievements and performance (grades, manners, rule following, people pleasing, appearance, sports). Somewhere along the way, they adopted the dangerous and debilitating belief system: "I am what I accomplish and how well I accomplish it. Please. Perform. Perfect." Healthy striving is self-focused: How can I improve? Perfectionism is other-focused: What will they think? Perfectionism is a hustle.

- Perfectionism is not the key to success. In fact, research shows that perfectionism hampers achievement. Perfectionism is correlated with depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralyzing or missed opportunities. The fear of failing, making mistakes, not meeting people's expectations, and being criticized keeps us outside of the arena where healthy competition and striving unfolds.

- Last, perfection is not a way to avoid shame. Perfectionism is a form of shame. Where we struggle with perfectionism, we struggle with shame.
                                                                                                           by Brene Brown


It is a great book if you want to learn about vulnerability. To be vulnerable its to dare greatly.
The book is based on 12 years of  research by Dr. Brene Brown. She dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is a weakness and argues that it is in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.


Great Book.

                                            Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                         www.karinglannstam.com

Work your Confidence Muscle!

                                                         Self - Confidence
                            The foundation of all great success and achievement

Have you ever wondered where confidence comes from?

It comes from knowing that you will be able to handle things....no mater what!

Have you ever allowed fear to stop you from take a leap of faith and trying something new?
Maybe creating a new dream or vision for your life?

I know I have!

Uncertainty is scary and it usually stops us dead in our tracks from pursuing our dream or vision

Have you ever had these kind thoughts?

If I pursue my dream.....
What will my friends and family think?
Am I good enough to succeed at this?
What about if I fail?
How am I going to pay the bills?
Am I too old/young to make this happen?
What if this happens?


                          "Confidence doesn't come when you have all the answers.
                          But it comes when you are ready to face all the questions,"


The need for security will keep us stuck in our comfort zones and it will slowly suck the life out of our souls. We are so worried about changing our lives, so afraid of the unknown that we often will miss out on great opportunities to better our lives.

Fear comes from not knowing if we will be able to handle things.

A lot of times we feel like security comes from having material things.

We are spending so much time making money so that we can acquire material things....... when we instead should focus on our ability to handle things.

Invest in yourself .....work your confidence muscle....the bigger it gets the more secure you will feel  that you will be able to handle anything that life throws at you.

Be courageous.....take the leap of faith....and start building that confidence muscle.....
It probably needs a workout!

                                             Karin Glannstam - Personal Success Coach
                                                       www.karinglannstam.com